Economic Beat

Who's At Work?

The labor force participation rate is at an all-time low. What gives?

The Labor Day holiday prompts an update on a key measure: the labor force participation rate. How large a share of the adult population is choosing to participate in the labor force, either by holding down a job or actively seeking one? And what factors, if any, might boost participation in the labor force, thereby providing a larger pool of available labor to produce things of value?

The answer to either question is not encouraging. So far this year, the seven-month average on the participation rate has run 63.4%, a...